Whispers of a Thrill (AW)

[Leto]

The sun still hung low in the sky, causing the moon that sometimes during the day was but a hazy mirage in the distant horizon to show its true colours of bright silver. The brightest of the stars were also visible in the deeply blue-purple sky; also the air was relatively cold for a summer’s morning, a light breeze toyed with the fallen leaves creating waves across the golden grassland.

The sweet scent of flowers hung in the air mixing with the scent of last night’s torrential rain; indeed everything seemed perfect, and peaceful. Yet appearances can be deceiving, the peace in these parts was soon to be short lived. A sigh escaped a tan muzzle as ice blue eyes scanned the tall grasses a head, nose twitching for the whereabouts of that gazelle he had spotted some half an hour ago.

Slitted pupils were slightly dilated in the low light, though the sun would soon breach the horizon, flooding this now cold world with light and warmth, the hunter stalking the grasslands however had more important things to mind than watching the approaching sunset, the gazelle from earlier was once again with his sight. Carefully the toned male made his approach, stopping every once in a while and carefully considering each press of paw against the earth. Once he came within a certain distance he placed his form flat against the ground, keeping constant eye on the grazing gazelle… which would soon pay dearly for its inattentiveness.

In a sudden burst of strength, speed and stamina the male leapt towards his prey, causing both him and the herbivore to bowl over each other, but powerful jaws soon clamped shut over the gazelle’s throat silencing it’s cries of agony in an effort not to draw unwanted attention to himself, for all he knew these lands may not be Neutral ground; Leto was well aware on how he was potentially raiding someone’s larder about now, did he care though? Not really, food was food, whatever borders that confined it didn’t matter.

Licking the throat the now dead gazelle Leto proceeded to dig into his stolen meal, yet ears remained perked in case he was discovered, one could never be too careful.

[Ruby_Fehu]

A white lioness, unusually in this lands padded along calmly, a bored expression on her lips. Her bright blue eyes shone as she made her way through the silent lands, her head bowed and paws brushing across the ground making no sound.
She spotted an gazelle a short distance away and crouched down swiftly, her belly pressed against the grass, not doing much to conceal herself though of course. Cecilia prowled forward picking her pace up ever so slightly when a sudden flash caught her eye and a large lion darted in front of her and attacked the beast putting it out of its misery.
Cecilia cursed inwardly and turned on her heel starting to leave when she stepped on a twig underfoot causing it to snap and sound magnified by a million in the silence around her.

[Leto]

He hadn’t noticed the scent, thanks in part to the fact that his face was buried halfway inside a gazelle’s stomach. Savoring this first meal for several days, the sound of snapping twig however caught his full attention, removing his face from the gutted corpse his ears perked as his ice-blue eyes scanned the savannah ahead, nose twitching for scents. She was pretty easy to spot amidst the golden grass, pure white was her fur… a strange sight, even to someone as travelled as Leto was, and white lions weren’t a common sight.

He rose to his feet and stared at the lioness a relative distance away, was she of the resident pride? But then that begged the question, were these lands even owned?! Deciding not to take any risks of being ratted out, Leto decided to try and talk to this lioness so the soldier proceeded to approach her, leaving his kill behind. “Who are you?” he exhaled, ice-blue eyes narrowed under pale brows though his tailed swayed with calm dominance, inappropriately he was speaking to her behind and back, as she was turned from him; turning your back on a strange is a decidedly bad idea; indeed Leto had already found 12 major flaws in her physique he could exploit should it come to a fight. 2 of them seemed more born out of ignorance than a flaw on her part.

Not that the soldier was seeking a fight, getting injured was nothing one should wish for.

[Deleted]

Every time Walla raised her head to peer at the strangers, Shys pushed it back down again.
"Shh. Stay hidden."
"Why? They don't look very dangerous."
"They're rogues. They're unpredictable. We should wait for help to arrive."
"I feel stupid." Walla sighed. "A princess shouldn't have to hide behind a log in her own lands."
"A good huntress uses discretion."
"I'm never going to be a good huntress," she said. "I heard you tell Father:" she tilted her head and made her voice husky and smooth, like Shys': "her legs are too short and her belly is too large." You didn't even want to teach me."
"All true," Shys said, cautiously. An upset princess could be a dangerous thing. "But even a princess needs discretion."
Walla didn't reply to that. Shys was right, of course. But she wasn't about to leave either, so merely sat behind the log, keeping her eyes on the newcomers to her lands. She didn't crouch like Shys, though. A life of luxury had left Walla with a body highly desirable by the people of her society, but utterly debilitating when it came to hunting. Instead she merely sat on her huge stomach and tried to keep her large backside low as she watched the male speak for the first time.

[Leto]

The male had stopped a good ways from the white lioness, even called out to her but an answer was left waiting, his ears flickered back and forth while his nose tasted the air. That was when noticed it, a scent faint yet distinct lingering in the air, it also explained the uncanny feeling he had about being watched, eyes blue eyes then trailed from the white lioness and scanned the savannah around him. His tail gave a pensive flicker as he tasted the air to pin point the scents.

Eyes closed as he focused on the scent, there! His attention shifted to a log a little ways away from him, despite the light breeze of the wind he thought he could discern spoken words, albeit it was low, barely a whisper. The soldier shot a glance behind him towards his kill, as he opted to approach the log, unsure what he would find there he remained tense, claws were unsheathed and most his body was in attack mode.

“You can stop spying, the both of you!” The male called out to towards the log, ears flickering backwards as he waited for however was hiding to come out.

[Lionel]

The young lion was crawling trough the grass, slowly, trying not to make a sound. He had become a rogue just days before, because he couldn't find place in his pride. He was one of a kind. He had the ordinary golden pelt, but his mane was light. And it didn't grow like a normal one, but grew on his jawline. And his eyes - they were blue. He was diffrent.

He was Vidar.

He slowly crawled as close as he could,aming to steal Leto's pray. He was far too hungry to wait hours for a heard to stop by him.
"Just a little closer..." He thought, continuing crawling trough the grass.

[Leto]

The soldier was about to force the two hiding behind the log to reveal themselves when he notices a shadow in the corner of his eye, in the direction of his prey. Ears fold flat against his skull and a low growl issued from his throat as he noticed someone approach his kill. Forgetting the white lioness, even the ones hidden behind the log, he jogged towards his kill, jumping over the meal to position himself between the approaching stranger and what was rightfully his.

“I suggest you go catch your own meal!” Leto sneered; claws had come unsheathed as the soldier lowers his head to the height of his shoulders. In retrospect there was a lot of meat on that gazelle, enough to feed both him and this new arrival, not too sure about it accommodating the white lioness and whoever was stalking behind that log, right now though Leto’s attention was focused on the approaching male.

The soldier wouldn’t hesitate to defend his meal by force if it came to it, but for the other male’s sake Leto hoped didn’t have to come to that, not that Leto really cared for this trespasser very much. Still causing someone their death, because they were too stupid to take a hint, seemed like a waste of a life to the soldier.

[Lionel]

He was noticed. He was uncovered. Vidar slowly backed away, seeing, that if a fight would start, he might not be the one winning it. His bright blue eyes flashed at the corpse, wanting to just jump and take a bite, but no. He moved back, quietly murmuring.
"My own meal... My wn meal..."
When he was far enough, he turned around and ran. He ran, and finnaly, cought a small gazzele. He ate it, leaving just the insides.
"My own meal..." He murmured and slowly creeped back to Leto. Watching him.

[Leto]

As the other male backed down, the soldier relaxed sitting down in front of his kill, though he kept an ear on the others present as he watched the newcomer, a pale brow inched as he heard the other’s muttering while he slinked away to get a meal of his own. Eventually though the male returned still muttering the same words. “You’re not that bright I see.” Leto commented idly, ice-blues never leaving the form of the other male, from what the soldier was gathering this heap of maned fur seemed like a case of being special.

This male was a mess, and not just in appearance it seemed, ears laid back in subtle annoyance as he kept a cold stare at the other, though he also glanced around him to check if this new arrival was alone; he could’ve been part of resident pride, if he was then that would present a potential problem for Leto. Which could result in the loss of his meal anyway; life was brutal, showing weakness was like asking for a beating

His ears swirled forward suddenly when a hoarse cry sounded from the heavens, and his ice-blue eyes soon shifted to the sky. There an unmistakable silhouette circled in perfect abandon, the rogue's teeth gritted, "Sh**!" he hissed lowly, vultures... they'd no doubt attract attention from several miles away; jackal, hyena, even more lions, in the least the two former could be here any minute. Perhaps it was time to move on.

[Ruby_Fehu]

Cecilia was about to reply when the male walked away. She watched with mildly curiosity as he shouted out, speaking to two concealed animals then stalking off when a third lion joined the male. Cecilia padded forward steadily,her gaze watching the two conversing when a faint shadowed circled above them- vultures. Cecilia, who had always hated vultures snapped her gaze up to the sky, growling noisily at them. KNowing fine well they wouldn't pay attention to her.

[Leto]

The soldier glanced over his shoulder as he heard a growl issue from the white lioness, her gaze locked on the sky; the circling vultures were slowly descending towards their chosen meal. Leto rose to his feet and slowly approached the white pelted girl, leaving his kill behind having lost the appetite with the large crowd that had now gathered around him.

He shot a glance towards the log though he wasn’t sure if the players of hide and seek were still present, not that he really cared to begin with. “Your kind is a rare sight.” The soldier remarked dryly, gaze trailing the lionesses form as he circled her at least once, his tail giving a slight flicker of approval. Contrary to popular assumption white lions were formidable hunters, equal in strength and skill to their normal pelted brethren.

“So, what brings you out here, Daisy?” Leto asked coming to a stop beside the girl, ice-blue eyes meeting her gaze.

[Ruby_Fehu]

"My name is Cecilia." She replied,easing her growling briefly. "And I know white lions are rare sights, but there is three of us travelling here. My brother and my niece. We were moving from our pride."

[Leto]

Her growling unfazed him, instead it caused a smile to curve on the edge of his muzzle, “Just making an observation, sweetie.” the male remarked calmly gaze trailing her form as she stated she knew her kind was rare, revealing she was travelling with family, apparently they were leaving their pride. “No need to get, feisty.” He added, his tail swaying from side to side.

“Cecilia, Hrm… pleasure.” He bowed, normally Leto wasn’t one to go heavy with the courtesies but he felt for it right about now. “May I ask why you’re leaving your pride?” he came to a stop then, turning to her a pale brow inching slightly in curiosity; she had already revealed a lot, why stop now? Of course the soldier could always guess, there was so many reasons why one would leave their pride, coup d’état’s seemed to be the most common factor in this day and age.

[Lionel]

Vidar moved closer to the pray, and jumped, taking a bite out of it and running back in the shadows. He tore the piece of flesh apart and threw it around, for the vultures to coome.
"Not so bright? Then why are the vultures coming?" He said, with a maniacal chuckle. And then his face went blank, and he started murmuring the word vultures over and over, over and over.

[Ruby_Fehu]

"We have our reasons." Cecilia replied coolly, glancing sideways at him before she heard a lion chanting 'vultures' over and over again causing her to quirk an eyebrow.

[mane6]

A pure white lion made his way through the savanna, coming across a group of brainless fools. His deep purple eyes scanned each of them, none of them looked like a threat. Finishing observing his surroundings his black tail tip swished as he caught the eye of a beautiful white lioness. And yet he thought he was the only one out there. He looked into her gorgeous blue eyes. "Such a rare beauty" he muttered, before standing up revealing himself. He shook his large silvery mane, and stretched giving a clear view of his naturally built body, hoping to impress the lady, but also signaling for males to back off. "So, my fine lady, what is your name?" His eyebrow raised, glancing at her.